Show JI t i T T u I wll JV Fi I 1 JL I- IV V V fi N RUTh um DEWEY GROVES J l ie Lou on the brink of the Treat adventUre She was to the core ot or her youth youth- fir fir- lIttle body And no one gu u e It It H own mother had not been p. p d to see Ite b behind the mask or of cation she be wore won to er dreaming soul And not even d had known how happy she w For Bertie BertI Lou would not talk about It She afraid or of bin sappy lAP So she posed behind an armor ot of hoots and Jibes for Cor the ot of sentiment nt It was the code or of her bel day amon her bel friends But tonight she could not jeer at ater er It made her fell Ceel like Uke to the other this gina bei beig be- be ig i so 10 old ly palpitating an the they razz m. m aba thought m. m She knew she ought to be asleep M. M was IV a million yeara eara old old- I C to get Ctt about And AM AMt AndI t I she lib Ws fas excited No 0 Use trying to toW tobe W be blu for tor her own benefit Not Noton Noton on this tt her last night as BertIeLou Dertle BertIe Lou Ward Tomorrow she ahe would I become rs Rod Doer b. b let herself dwell upon the Ith much the same thoughts that mIght have filled the mind ot of an maiden ot of yore ore on the eve ove ot of her Wedding day The he Influence ot of other her friends friend melted Away before beCore the wonder ond r In her the heart thousand questions the t and eagerness e That was wa only for tor tonight The nut next day she would be modern a n-a n eyed deer know whAt It its 11 1 about out miss mills No one on would hue have hueto to know that she ehe had Men been misty misty- eyed and nd hesitantly prayerful the then n ht just belore-just like Ilk any sap ap who belled In fairy tales She thou thought ht or of the advIce one year old Solon had given ghen her bel Dent let It let get you Bertle Lou If you Ou dont don't like Uke It you ou can chuck Jt it rou 30 know But Dut It does get no you matter how wise you ou are Dertle Bertie Lou whispered Into the warm darkness of at her room And that was the she ever had come to wisdom wis wis- dom She lay a little longer lost In the enchantment ot of standing on th ld ot of n. n new life lICe before beCore th heat ot of th the summer night pressed In upon her Mr The little bre that had sprung rung up nt at sundown sun fun down own had dIed Cited down again Her room had grown sultry since she had Bor gora t to bet bed Lou threw ba the sheet that covered her and slipped her bel legs over the edge ot of the bed She felt around with her tOM toes for 1 her old mules and thrust liar lieI fe feet t Into them They clattered A A. little as abe CrONi crossed the hare bare flo floor r and groped her eay ay down the hall ball to the stairs Her mother called to her Bertie BertieLou Lou 1011 I Ii that you BerUe Bertie Lou halted In surprise Her mother was a t sound sleeper Iut ut u did not know what it meant to have a girl getting O On the rut rut-ll I her mother was suffer suffer- jug fm ton the t. het lm Im goin o n rh for a t she Witta Witt Kt a glass of Ice drink f-c f p utter ater honey l leoton juice In a a. hat tUe t- t Ue tie In tl L Let t t the lo w wate wa- wa te It C l The whole supply La It ot enough h to boll boil bolln n n ft ERP Beri Ber l Lou 1 end nd wor down thO sirs on the bannister She didn't do this for fer sport sport- tt was as too a lut for that hut to eave Me time She made a of If lemonade till for her 1111 In hr aft aCt Is had her own r lIr sri It it On the the ny ay sh she the hail door lending to the dining roon and a n wih Ih to a peek peele at the r present seized her th be put the he ler tare nate on q band tand aM Co the th dor 1 or The light ligh t the Bone In t taa If ift covered co dining table and Bertie Lou fI O looking at the array wi 11 frank In the gen ro of her tarr ft it ds the tan fan on the te back porch she had bean too busy to Ie view the gifts and she shedid shedid did not know that one h had d arrived fd hleb she he had not yet tt seen It was Wall Incased in leather oblong with gold satin linIng Mrs Irs Ward ard had bad put It down on the e edge te or of the table with the case open The light struck softly on a dull bronze blade and caught Bertie Lous Lou's eyes Eureka CUreka Another one she ejaculated and went In to examine it ft and the card of the sender A funD funny wedding she thought picking It up Sharp as the devil Then she sha looked at the card Miss Is Lila Marsh h Dertle Lou drop dropped the paper Ct quickly Into the case Her race face already flushed with h heat at and excitement grew aneW a trifle warmer In color and her eyes d darkened d. d Al AI- ways the name of LIla Marsh af- af h her r In some w WI It If others we e present she mana managed ed some some- now Q-now to keep a poker face Cace but It if as 1 no now she WAS unobserved lie showed her true to rd Id the girl who had refused to marry n The he rich blood In her cheeks checks betokened be- be con consciousness ot of Lilas Lila's Importance importance Im- Im and the darkened eyes Cx- Cx pre pressed sed her will to stand firmly on her own ground She was Rods Rod's girl now Lila LIh be be- longed to his put past didn't trouble about a persons person past That 18 is the they didn't acknowledge thAt they did But Bertie LOu knew Lila had known her for years Lila was vas a a. menace Shed She'd always play played the tha game gamo by her own rules She never gave another girl a a. sportIng sporting sport sport- Ing ll You ou wasn't going to be ot of Rods Rod's past But his future belonged to her nt at least insofar tn in- AS Lila was concerned Lila had had hOd her chance Shed She'd turned l Rod down because he wasn't making enough money And she couldn't see any chanco for tor IL a. bookkeeper in Wayville to leap Into n. n fortune Of course coure It was Vila all right for tor Lila LilaI I to send a a. present Dertle Bertie Lou conceded conceded con con- ceded that But Dut wn a dagger From anyone anone else It would have hare meant nothing But coming from Lila It might mean anything That was the rb Dertle Bertie Lou didn't know Imo LIra hAdn't gone one onest st steadily dllY with any boy since Rod flod nut But she he WAsn't lonely b by any means She Sha was Wa popular What If she wanted nod Hod 7 Dertle Bertie LOu h d openly subscrIbed to thAt overworked declaration about keeping no strings on anyone It he wants wanta to go he may JC If any other girl can take him sho's wet wet- come That was before he abs fell Cell In lore with Rod Now ow shO Iha knew that a a. possessive fighting ran side sideby sideby by Side aide with her pride She would heel Hod It if she could And she couldn't see how v my any girl could stop loving lo him Sh She didn't believe LIla had Lila had Instilled the Idea by a a. pose ot of sadness Ss and frequent wistful references to a a. great mistake rUt Bertie Lou slammed the door of the dining Oom with a a. bang Lila Llla had soiled 1 her night When she offered the lemonade to her mother MrS Mra Ward said sald Your hand Is hOt hone honey dOnt dOn't yOu U feel teel well vell Its awfully close cloe Mums do you think It will rain tomorrow Bertie BertieLou BertieLou Lou evaded Maybe Dyb It wm will rain b tor morn norn Inz and cool things off oce Cant Can't you sleep ln im too that was a slip slip- mean there axe are so EO mAny darned things thinS's to think about when you ou have a a. wedding I wish Rod And I had elOPed What a lot ot of trouble It will save when people Who want ant to get married d. d Just walk walkup walkup up to a mountain top and theIr union to the four Cour winds She had raised her ber voice olce Her father sleeping beside her mother restless restlessly I Dertle Lou beCame be- be Came quiet Want ant me to come and tAlk to you 7 her mother whispered anxiously It had disappointed her vAguely that D flertie LOu had not come to her lter with confidences and aud questiOns You need your our sleep deep Mums Ill I'll read Dertle Bertie Lou replied and sUpped slipped out ot of th the roon Back to Mr her own bower stripped ol 01 rugs and anc hangings for tor cool coolness nus she threw her het pillows down b by the window and knelt lt upon them arms crossed on the window sill curlY head hend upon them It was more restful than h her r bed And th the orchestration Of myriad summer insects soothed her She didn't b believe she would sleep p that night At six SEx h hr r woke Voke Mr her scolding be stiff stitt as aa a a. ramrod ram ram- rod Go and take a hot bath real hot Yes I 1 know its it's a a. hot da day but you do AS I sa say Cool off 0 with witha a a. shower IC I you OU like but dont don't tand there thero rubbing your our eyes ees out Mother feelings hiding J behind bustling authority Belth LOu had a. a better betta Id idea She went down and put On a phonograph reCOrd and limbered up with the Black Bottom and a a. stomp Then she sho took the hot bath bUh and the last quarter bottle ot of bath salts Into the tub Her mother did not like them She nIght might as well luxuriate Couldn't pack a ru-arl ru empty bottle hottle She was well ell seeped d In rose perfume per per- fume by the time she was ready for forthe forthe the coM cold shower Then came breakfast It waS wall I slightly cooler On the shaded porch and Lottie Lous Lou's mother had PrO PrO- I iced honeydew lemon No one jawed her for Y being halt half dressed this this' morning Her lIer old organdie or- or gandle gandie house coat was left unfastened cried ened over o her limited without rebuke Dertle Lous Lou's sweet little body was no mystery to her tam family II Keeping her covered had been her mothers mother's chief concern and activity for several years Iter dad grunted at her lingered ned 1 S J Bertie Lou wasn't going to be jealous jeal jeal- ous of Rods Rod's put past Rod who her as if hed he'd bun been hungry au all his hie life for her lips a a. bit over his second cup ot of coffee cot cot- fee and then took himself off to his carpenter shop to work until time lime to come back and dress for the wed wed- ding lie He wanted to say something to Bertie Lou lie He didn't know what It was but a man have a ayoung ayoung young daughter getting married every da day lie He felt he ought to say something And he said nothing noth- noth In ing b uso these young oung animals ot of the present day confused him Across town another father felt the same way Mr 11 Bryer wanted to have a frank heart to talk with Rod but he couldn't speak his hisson's hisson's sons son's language and he dreaded to tobe tobe be laughed at Besides h he had a a. suspicion that his offspring knew more than he did anyhow Rods Rod's mother would have given anything to tell Bertie Lou how to tomake tomako make mako Rod happy happ but she didn't dare Bertie Lou was little and sweet but she waS no clinging vine and Mrs Bryer knew she would make n. n man happy in her own way or not at all The wedding wu was to be at 10 o'clock In the morning That would permit Rod Hod and his bride to take the best train to the r resort ort In the hills where they were to spend two weeks of their honeymoon during durIn ROds ROd's vacation At S 8 the florists came and decorated deco deco- rated the house It did not take them an hour to do It But It was pretty even It If It wasn't a garden ot of costly blooms Rod and Bertie BertieLOu BertieLOu LOu had been busy the evening beLore before be- be Lore fore with white ribbon and lace paper paper pa- pa per bells potted plants and vines It an old hous with large larg rOoms and high ceilings Bertie Lou had been born In it and her moth mother r wanted her to be married under the same ame root roof Bertie Lou hoped peo- peo pl pie wouldn't suffocate She wanted to have the alta alt built under the great elm tree at the Ule corner of the lot but Mrs Irs Ward Vard said It was too public Well Bertie Lou reflected It would be a a. short ceremony Then they could all go out to the long veranda where the buffet breakfast was to bO be s served while She and Rod drove e awa away to the station I 1 hope no one will think of dads dad's old tin can In the tho barn she said to Rod when they congratulated I themselves upon completing their plans fOr outwitting the car decorating decorating deco deco- rating committee Their Thelt suitcases were to be deposited secretly In Mr Wards Ward's old car which they wOuld drive to the station leaving th the banner and can trimmed motor car belonginG to Rods Rod's father tather at the curb As Bertie Lou surveyed sur the corn com completed work worl ot of the florists she felt felther felther her throat tightening over a a. lump that choked her Maybe you oU could bre break k up your our marriage ge If you OU didn't like It but you'd oud never have the same chance for happiness again she felt She sensed that overmuch rl- rl ence with life didn't bring the haPpiness happiness haP haP- that one got from one bl big success She wanted to be happy with Rod and she knew v that divorce dl di- vorce was on the Increase It was getting harder to stay married Ir If you ou didn't want a a. divorce orce when your our husband did you ou were a a. dog dogIn dogin In the manger She couldn't imagine Rod w wanting nUng nUnga a divorce Rod who kIssed her as asIf asif I If hed he'd been hungry all hIs life lICe for tor I her lips She had heard however girls talking about the technique of the boys bos Their attendance at the moVIes lea Ies had not been In vain aln It was agreed Had Rod ever kissed Lila like that If he had then then he could some day kiss a a. thIrd r would she be only a third the the 1 same way The new girl to ask the man she was to marry If hed he'd ever loved lovell anyone anone else She didn't want him to lie to her ROd had no Idea how Dertle Bertie Lou felt about Lila LUI The They never talked About her beyond beyond be- be yond Rods Rod's brief magne- magne De Bertie Lou swallowed the lump In her ber throat What hat sas the Use You couldn't read the tho future She closed her eyes a moment and relieved re- re Rods Rod's goodnight to her It still sent l delicious shivers along ong her r spine lIe He had her eyes her Ups lips her hair her throat She was brought to earth by her mothers mother voice calling her to some small task In the kitchen BertieLou DerUe Bertie Lou worked there And aU all over the house until th the bridesmaids appen ap- ap pen roo Then she Went Upstairs with them not to come down again until the wedding march summoned her rolt of the things for tor her MJ trip were packed One ot the girls cheeked checked oft off a a. list she shO had made to use uso as suggestions for tor Bertie BertieLou Lou It saved sand her overlooking her handkerchiefs The others put on their own dresses pale teen reen organdie or- or gandie and then h helped lp d Lou Into her wedding dress Sh could not fall fail to I ok beau beau- The white while taffeta was likO the of her youth Soft yet firmly crisp supple and alIve Het hall hair halt half red half brown framed framM her eager agel sparkling countenance like a rich golden crown of hM heavy swirls One of oC the girls said that her eyes would melt butter butler If she look look- E eo at they It-they were so soft With that peculiar C velvety softness that only brown eyes have She did not w wear a a. veil only a. a small wreath of bite rosebuds lik lIke the bouquet she was to carry corry In her arm arms The Tho girls heard her bor mother como come tip lip the stairs and gO Into her room just when they'd finished fastening the wreath Then she he called to Lots Loll and the girl went vent to her herThe herThe The instant she was as gone an M el chatter broke out among the bridesmaids she sha sweet tI tod's In luck I wonder how v Lila will WIIl feel when sh she sees herl ber She's coming Isn't she I gut guess so 50 Perils Hertle Lou couldn't refuse to uk ask her Darned It I would Then you'd oud have everybody every every- body saying lying she had your our goat I should worry my extra weight oft off about that Bertle Bertie Lou was coming back |